1. According to the 2001 Census there are 747, 285 Pakistanis living in Britain. Pakistanis are the second largest ethnic minority group behind Indians and make up 1.3% of the total UK population.
2. Pakistanis have settled in large cities all over the UK. Interestingly, unlike many other ethnic minorities, London does not have the largest concentration of Pakistanis. They are found in large numbers in Humberside and Yorkshire, West Midlands and the North West. Glasgow also has a sizeable Pakistani community.
3. Since 9/11, many Pakistanis have faced an increase in racism, especially young men, who are now more likely to be stopped and searched than any other ethnic minority group. They feel that people now view them as terrorists and that the media has become anti-Muslim. Thus in the current political climate, UK born Pakistanis can be more radical and into Islam than those born in Pakistan.
4. Pakistanis in Britain consume both mainstream and specialist television. Among the specialist television channels that are popular within this community are Prime TV and Ary Digital (which are aimed at primarily Pakistani viewers). Zee TV, Star TV and B4U are also popular; these are aimed at the whole of the South Asian community (ie Indians and Bangladeshis as well).
5. Asian radio stations are also important to many Pakistanis, with Excel, BBC Asia and Sunrise radio being very popular. Radio Ramadan has short broadcasts during the month of Ramadan.
6. Large-scale immigration to Britain from Pakistan began in the 1950s. Many Pakistanis were economic migrants from rural areas of the country and came with a view to return to Pakistan once they had made enough money in Britain. Their numbers increased throughout the 1960s and 1970s when wives, children and dependants followed to join husbands and fathers.
7. People from Pakistani backgrounds are more likely to be self-employed than any other ethnic minority group (including white British). In 2001/02, around one fifth of Pakistani (22%) people were in self-employment. One in six men work in driving occupations such as taxi drivers and chauffeurs
8. Urdu is the main language spoken by Pakistanis. Regional languages are also spoken such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Balouchi and Pushto.
9. Pakistanis in the UK are generally Muslim; 92% declared this as their religion in the 2001 Census.
10. It is common for Pakistani children to be sent to the mosque for 2 hours each day after school to learn Arabic, and learn about Islam and the Koran.
11. Many Muslims pray five times a day. Men tend to visit the mosque to pray communally, particularly on Fridays, whilst women pray at home. Some women regularly pray for two hours each morning, from 4.30 am to 6.30 am
12. Amir Khan became a famous Pakistani name after the Athens Olympics in 2003. He was born in Bolton and became Britain’s youngest boxing medallist when he won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the age of 17.
13. Another famous British Pakistani is the MP Mohammed Sarwar who became Britain’s first Muslim MP and Scotland’s first ethnic minority MP in 1997.
14. The name Mohammed has become so popular that it now features in the top twenty boys names in the UK.
15. Many first generation Pakistani women, especially older ones, speak little or no English and their lives are generally contained within their local community. They have limited contact with people from outside their own ethnic group and are likely to rely on their children to interpret for them and liaise with the English speaking world.
16. The practice of decorating women’s hands with Mendi (henna) is popular on the night before Eid and for weddings.
17. Along with boys from a Bangladeshi background, Pakistani boys tend to have low educational attainment, with only 22% of sixteen year olds obtaining GCSE grades A-C.
18. Balti (meaning bucket) is a Pakistani dish that was introduced in Birmingham by the Kashmiri population in the 1980s. A balti meal is a type of curry, fast cooked over a high flame with fresh meat and/or vegetables marinated and then cooked with extra spices added during the fast cooking process. The meal is then usually served up sizzling in the balti.
19. The summer of 2001 saw some of the worst rioting involving the Pakistani community, ever seen in the UK. The riots happened in the Northern towns and cities of Oldham, Leeds, Burnley and Bradford.
20. A traditional Pakistani sport that is on the increase in the UK is kabaddi. Brought to the UK around 25 years ago, the game has developed through second generation Pakistani children. A sport of two teams it is performed by a group that wrestles, as well as runs, while repeating the word kabaddi in one deep breath.
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